1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method thereof, a computer program, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method that divides image data into regions and adds metadata to text objects, photograph objects, and graphic objects contained in each of those regions has been used conventionally. For example, when adding such metadata to a text object, character encoding information is added that is obtained by executing an OCR process.
For photograph objects and graphic objects, a character string is obtained by executing an OCR process on a text object nearby the object to which the metadata is to be added, and that character string is added to the photograph object or graphic object. Here, “graphic” refers to an image that has features such as more clearly-defined outlines in the subject, more limited colors, and so on than a natural image such as a photograph. Graphics can be generated by vectorizing figures such as lines, arrows, and so on created using graphic designing software. It is therefore possible for a user to perform searches and so on using the metadata added to the image data (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-32397).
However, a text object that expresses the content of such photograph objects or graphic objects is not necessarily always in the vicinity of that photograph object or graphic object. Furthermore, although creators of image data sometimes use graphic objects to express the relevance objects have to one another, the importance of an object, and so on, such information is not considered at all in the aforementioned method. This method therefore does not add the appropriate metadata to objects, and is thus difficult for a user to use.